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tennisgirl27's review
3.0
Did I love this book…..no……it was tolerable but not great. I was looking for a quick light read and this fit the bill but I think overall this was just another average (young adult) gymnastics themed book. I just finished reading another book not that long ago that is pretty much identical to this one so I think that impacted my rating (but this one was better at least). I guess you can only read so many books about a gymnastic and their path to the olympics
kimz95's review
5.0
Absolutely loved this!
May or may not have sent a picture of sentences in the book to one of my fellow “gym nerd” friends!
It’s a quick and easy read. But definitely a good one. It felt like I was reading about the actual 2020 team, the Olympics and everything around. It didn’t even really feel like fiction. I guess, at least for book inspiration, it’s good that USAG is such a shit show, aha.
May or may not have sent a picture of sentences in the book to one of my fellow “gym nerd” friends!
It’s a quick and easy read. But definitely a good one. It felt like I was reading about the actual 2020 team, the Olympics and everything around. It didn’t even really feel like fiction. I guess, at least for book inspiration, it’s good that USAG is such a shit show, aha.
onmyown's review against another edition
3.5
Here for the DK vibez and oh boy it delivered as I helped set up Christmas eve
obviously_lene's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
haileyannereads's review
4.0
This was so good! It takes an honest look at what gymnasts (especially females) go through to achieve their dreams. It also shows the strong bonds they form. Overall, I just really really liked it.
booksandlemonsquash's review against another edition
4.0
I received this book from the publisher via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.
Ahhhhhh. I was so excited for this as I’m a huge gymnastics nerd, and I was right to be - I loved it! It has exactly the right balance of gymnastics and personal - plus the interplay of the accusation hanging over both it incredibly well done.
I did find a couple of bits a little unrealistic from a gymnastics point of view - but very minor niggles. Aside from that, as someone who does watch a fair amount it definitely felt like one of the major events- with fantastic routines and small to major errors affecting everything!
And I really liked Rey, she’s a great lead with a good heart.
Highly recommend this book. My only sad point is that I have so long to wait until the Olympics but I’m ready now!
Ahhhhhh. I was so excited for this as I’m a huge gymnastics nerd, and I was right to be - I loved it! It has exactly the right balance of gymnastics and personal - plus the interplay of the accusation hanging over both it incredibly well done.
I did find a couple of bits a little unrealistic from a gymnastics point of view - but very minor niggles. Aside from that, as someone who does watch a fair amount it definitely felt like one of the major events- with fantastic routines and small to major errors affecting everything!
And I really liked Rey, she’s a great lead with a good heart.
Highly recommend this book. My only sad point is that I have so long to wait until the Olympics but I’m ready now!
caszriel's review against another edition
5.0
Initial thoughts: wow, this read surprised me in so many ways but it really is amazing. It tackles tough issues and has a strong lead facing down many challenges, plus its Tokyo 2020 setting is sublime. Highly recommend!
A few little things that don't really spoil the plot but occur in the book that I was a bit eh about:
- Lee is a v common Korean surname though, idk about its portrayal as English
- Audrey having to tell people she wasn’t Japanese and only speaks English didn’t make that much sense, Japanese people wouldn’t make that mistake and it wasn’t really specified who exactly the comment was referring, it just bothered me a lil
————————————————————
~I received a copy from Hachette Australia and willingly reviewed it~
When Christopher “Gibby” Gibbins, coach of the USA Women's Gymnastics Team is arrested, Audrey Lee and her teammates on the USA gymnastics team are left with an uncertain future. The 2020 Tokyo Olympics are fast approaching, and they have no coach. As a series of allegations are levelled against their former coach, Audrey must decide who to believe. Can she unite the team and keep their chances of winning gold alive?
Audrey is a strong narrator who I grew to like and respect quickly. She is a fighter, relentlessly pursuing her dreams. Break the Fall covers hard hitting, heavy issues, the key one being sexual assault but also abuse of power. Nonetheless it is a tale of hope and coming together in the aftermath of something terrible. The struggles Audrey and her teammates go through felt so real and the gymnastics portrayal is top notch; I absolutely loved the last few chapters at the Olympics.
Janet Dorsey-Adams was an unexpected favourite of mine; she’s the coach so many are lacking at elite level, someone who cares about athletes’ wellbeing above their success. There’s a nice range of characters in this book who helped add to the many layers the novel had. I was initially hesitant about the relationship between Audrey and Leo but it was beautiful done, adding to the theme of hope and a bright future.
Break the Fall is fast paced, and my heart pounded for a lot of it. There’s a diverse set of characters and issues are addressed well. Ultimately it is a story about tragedy, an how one picks themselves up afterward. Full of hope, Break the Fall is perfect for fans of gymnastics and stories of survivors.
A few little things that don't really spoil the plot but occur in the book that I was a bit eh about:
Spoiler
- Lee is a v common Korean surname though, idk about its portrayal as English
- Audrey having to tell people she wasn’t Japanese and only speaks English didn’t make that much sense, Japanese people wouldn’t make that mistake and it wasn’t really specified who exactly the comment was referring, it just bothered me a lil
————————————————————
~I received a copy from Hachette Australia and willingly reviewed it~
When Christopher “Gibby” Gibbins, coach of the USA Women's Gymnastics Team is arrested, Audrey Lee and her teammates on the USA gymnastics team are left with an uncertain future. The 2020 Tokyo Olympics are fast approaching, and they have no coach. As a series of allegations are levelled against their former coach, Audrey must decide who to believe. Can she unite the team and keep their chances of winning gold alive?
Audrey is a strong narrator who I grew to like and respect quickly. She is a fighter, relentlessly pursuing her dreams. Break the Fall covers hard hitting, heavy issues, the key one being sexual assault but also abuse of power. Nonetheless it is a tale of hope and coming together in the aftermath of something terrible. The struggles Audrey and her teammates go through felt so real and the gymnastics portrayal is top notch; I absolutely loved the last few chapters at the Olympics.
Janet Dorsey-Adams was an unexpected favourite of mine; she’s the coach so many are lacking at elite level, someone who cares about athletes’ wellbeing above their success. There’s a nice range of characters in this book who helped add to the many layers the novel had. I was initially hesitant about the relationship between Audrey and Leo but it was beautiful done, adding to the theme of hope and a bright future.
Break the Fall is fast paced, and my heart pounded for a lot of it. There’s a diverse set of characters and issues are addressed well. Ultimately it is a story about tragedy, an how one picks themselves up afterward. Full of hope, Break the Fall is perfect for fans of gymnastics and stories of survivors.